


Lambert's companions

by Ledgea



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Eskel and Geralt are curious, Fluff and Humor, Gossip, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Lambert is a little shit, Lambert is soft with exactly two people on the continent, M/M, Misunderstandings, Vesemir is judging everyone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:13:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28242189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ledgea/pseuds/Ledgea
Summary: Lambert has two lovers. Not that Eskel, Geralt or Vesemir know that.It all changes when Geralt stumbles upon Lambert and Coën and Eskel happens upon Lambert and Aiden.The problem is that when they share their newfound knowledge over winter, they fail to understand that they both saw him with a different witcher.The year after that, they both see Aiden and Coën together.Shenanigans and misunderstandings ensue.
Relationships: Aiden/Coën/Lambert (The Witcher), Eskel & Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Lambert & Vesemir
Comments: 69
Kudos: 93





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!!  
> It's been a while since I've wanted to write something about Aiden/Coën/Lambert and finally, here it is!!  
> There will be some fluff and some stupidity and I hope you'll enjoy!

Geralt is rather surprised to happen upon Lambert on his way north in the fall. He stops next to a lake in south Kaedwen, hoping to be able to rest on its shore for a few hours, when he hears someone laugh and another person curse. He immediately recognizes Lambert's laugh, a sound he doesn't hear as often as he'd like to, but doesn't know who is accompanying him.

He's a bit curious though, so he slowly approaches the lake but makes sure to stay hidden behind a few trees, not wanting to startle anyone. It takes him a minute to find a spot that allows him to spy on Lambert without being seen and he takes full advantage of it.

His brother's belongings lay abandoned on the lake shore next to a fire and by the number of bags Geralt can see, he deducts that Lambert and his companion are feeling friendly enough to mix their packs together. He spots a horse grazin nearby too, pieces of armors piled on the shore and four swords resting next to a log. He deduces that the man probably is a witcher too then.

And indeed his brother seems fine and happy. He's laughing, sat into a rickety boat lurching left and right in the middle of the lake. The other man is sitting across from Lambert, merrily cursing out loud and holding on the boat's sides as if his life depends on it. Geralt snorts.

He knows exactly what the unknown man is going through. He has gone fishing with Lambert often enough that he can even sympathize with the stranger's predicament. They try not to let Lambert go fishing alone after the almost drowning incident from ten years ago, but as Lambert refuses to take Eskel with him - he's apparently too bulky for the boat - and Vesemir doesn't want to babysit him, the task usually falls to Geralt, who doesn't particularly like it, but does it anyway.

The truly astonishing thing though is that Lambert is laughing. Not in a maniacal or unkind way, but a deep joyous laugh that Geralt never heard when they went fishing together. He shakes his head, leans against a tree and looks on the proceedings fondly.

The boat stops lurching after a while and Lambert throws another bomb into the water. It takes a few seconds for it to detonate, the boat dangerously sways to the right but doesn't capsize and both of its passengers end up drenched.

Geralt smiles as Lambert laughs again and his friend splutters next to him as he wipes his face and his bald head with one hand, the other still tightly holding onto the boat. Geralt shakes his head at his brother's antics and takes a few seconds to thank the gods that they both had the presence of mind to discard their armors before they decided to board the damn ship.

By the grin Lambert sports, Geralt knows that the both of them are going to end up into the water sooner rather than later and he would have hated to be forced to fish them out of the lake because their armors were weighting them down.

And indeed once the boat rights itself once again, the stranger says something to Lambert that Geralt doesn't catch but makes his brother laugh and Lambert gets out two more bombs. Geralt sighs and raises his eyes to the sky in exasperation, this is just _so Lambert._ The other man laughs too and he finally lets go of the boat's sides to try to wrestle the bombs away from Lambert. He's not very successful, or not trying very hard, Geralt can't decide, and Lambert throws his two bombs into the water with only a few seconds separating them.

Geralt knows from experience what will happen and isn't even surprised when the small boat weathers the first wave only for it to get upturned by the next. Lambert throws himself into the water with a delighted _whoop_ and from what Geralt can see, the other man sports such an unimpressed resigned face that it surely isn't the first time he finds himself into such a predicament. 

Geralt holds his breath for a few seconds, just long enough for Lambert and his friend to appear again, before he lets out a relieved sigh. Both men are treading the water next to the overturned, but miraculously not shattered, boat and Geralt chuckles quietly at them. 

He's thinking about making his presence known when Lambert swims towards the man and then loops his arms around his neck. Geralt is ready to shout, but Lambert doesn't leave him a chance to do it before he leans forward and kisses the stranger right in the middle of the lake next to a myriad of dead fishes. Geralt doesn't know what is happening

He gapes as they separate and splash each other, before turning the boat back upright. Then they collect the dead or unconscious fishes, throw them into the boat and push it back towards the shore. 

Geralt is starting to feel like he's intruding and he closes his gaping mouth before shaking his head and turning back around. Lambert is happy and carefree as he never is at Kaer Morhen and Geralt doesn't want to make things awkward with his presence. He takes one last quick look at his brother, committing his smiling face to memory, before he discreetly leaves him be with his companion.

* * *

When Aiden comes back from his hunt, Coën and Lambert are still fishing - for a broad definition of fishing - and he smiles as Coën splutters and wipes his wet head in front of a laughing Lambert. Unfortunately he doesn't get to enjoy the sight of his two happy lovers for long, because he quickly notices that they have a guest hiding in the forest and creepily staring at Coën and Lambert.

He stays hidden in the forest as he slowly makes his way towards their unwanted visitor and climbs up in a tree once he's close enough to keep an eye on the man. He soon discovers that the man is a witcher and if Lambert's description is to be believed, the man must be his brother Geralt.

Aiden relaxes into the tree, now being sure that the man isn't a threat, and settles comfortably onto a branch from where he can keep an eye on the newcomer and his lovers. He wonders what Geralt is doing here and if he should jump down and introduce himself. It would be fun to see how the great white wolf reacts to a scare, if it doesn't get him stabbed.

Just as Aiden is sure that Geralt will make his presence known, the Wolf starts to stupidly gape at the lake. Aiden contorts himself so that he can peer at the lake too and he smiles fondly at Coën and Lambert who finally ended up in the water and are know kissing. 

He longs to join them for exactly three seconds, before he remembers that he hates deep bodies of water of which he can't see the bottom, and he shudders as he thinks back on the first and last time he went fishing with Lambert. There is a reason Coën is always designated to go accompany Lambert now. And the Griffin may grumble and whine and moan about it, but they all know that he quite likes the feeling of the boat lurching left and right. Add in the promise of a wet kiss to wrap up the outing and he's practically running towards the boat even faster than Lambert.

Aiden watches them collect the fishes and start to swim towards their fire and when he turns back towards Geralt, he sees Lambert's brother walking away. He doesn't really understand why he's leaving now and Aiden is ready to launch himself at him to drag him back, before he remembers that while Lambert and Coën humor him, Geralt doesn't know him and would probably take offense at being rudely pounced upon.

So Aiden sighs and sadly shakes his head at the retreating witcher, before he climbs down his tree and starts to walk back towards their camp. He'll try to put in a word to Lambert about his brother if the sight of his lovers' naked shivering bodies doesn't distract him too much. Lambert will be able to choose what he wants to do about Geralt then, run after him and call him back or let him go, Aiden doesn't really care either way.


	2. Chapter 2

On his way north to Kaer Morhen, Eskel decides to stop at _The Crown_. It's a decent tavern located in southern Kaedwen that always welcomes witchers since Vesemir saved the tavern keeper a few years ago. The Wolves always make sure to stop by for a hot meal when going south or heading north and they use it as a way to pass around some information when it is needed.

So as soon as Eskel spots the establishment, he dismounts with a sigh and hands Scorpion to Roggen, the stablehand, who knows all of them by name now. Roggen smiles at Eskel, gratefully accepts his small tip and tells him that his mother made a new stew recipe she wants all of them to try, that Geralt passed through four days ago and that Lambert is actually inside the tavern right now.

“Really ?”, Eskel asks Roggen, astonished.

“For sure, master Eskel,” Roggen answers and points towards the tavern's door, “Darkest corner of the hall, like usual.”

Eskel thanks Roggen and heads for the tavern's door somewhat distracted by the news. He enters the establishment quietly, hunches his shoulders and tries to appear as unassuming as possible. Very few people turn back to look at him and he makes his way to the bar, while his eyes roam over the room trying to find Lambert.

He indeed finds his brother quickly, sitting in the darkest corner of the tavern and enjoying a meal. What is unusual though is the fact that he's sharing his table with another man. Tall, lithe, dark skin, dark hair and two swords leaning against the wall next to him.

Eskel first thought is that his brother is in trouble and he's ready to head in his direction to help when he notices that Lambert doesn't seem bothered by the other witcher, they even seem quite cozy together. Eskel tiptoes towards a pillar and he hides behind it as he takes his time looking over his brother and his friend.

They're sitting side by side at the table and sharing three plates of food and three mugs, which is a bit weird but whatever. They're also definitely leaning towards each other and whispering quietly to each other. Lambert seems content, happy, grounded, not a trace of tenseness or anger in him, and Eskel quite likes that look on him.

He can't hear what the two witchers are talking about, but they exude such an aura of calmness that Eskel is sure that they're friends. He continues to stare at them for a few minutes, maybe hoping they'll spot him and invite him over, but they're so engrossed into each other, they clearly don't see him.

And just as they finish both of their meals, the stranger takes Lambert's right hand into his and brings it to his mouth to lovingly kiss his knuckles. Lambert softly smiles at the man and, to Eskel's utter astonishment, he blushes and lets the man do as he pleases. Eskel didn't think that _anything_ could still make Lambert blush and he can't quite hold back his splutters and ends up awkwardly wheezing next to his pillar.

He musn't be discreet enough though, because five seconds after Eskel starts spluttering, Lambert raises his head and scans the room, probably feeling the eyes on him or having heard him. He finds Eskel quickly and his contented smile turns into a snarl as he wrenches his hand away from the stranger. _Dammit_ , Eskel thinks and knows that he fucked something up.

He nods at Lambert, making sure to keep his face as neutral as possible, and his brother flips him off and starts to rise, before his companion urgently whispers something into his ear and tugs him back down into his seat. Lambert scowls, harshly elbows his friend in the gut and makes sure to leave some space between him and his friend instead of sitting close by.

Eskel winces but still returns the nod the other witcher greets him with. He's debating joining them, maybe apologizing for the disturbance, when the tavern keeper finally spots him and drags him to the bar to offer him a meal. Eskel gratefully accepts the plate of stew and the ale the man sets down in front of him and forces himself to concentrate on the tavern keeper's chatter and to not look behind him at his prickly brother.

It's harder than it sounds and if he trusts his instincts, he's almost sure that someone is fiercely glaring at his back. The sensation abates halfway through his meal and he relaxes slightly. By the time the tavern keeper leaves his side to take care of another patron, Lambert and his friend have disappeared. Eskel pouts a little, somewhat disappointed they didn't invite him over or didn't join him to introduce the stranger to him. He's dying to know who the man is.

Lambert has never spoken about a companion or even a friend before and Eskel's curiosity is piqued. By the way they both acted, they're close and Eskel has a feeling that as Lambert never has even hinted at the other witcher's existence, he must be quite important to his brother. They had been so cozy together, clearly used to infringe upon each other's spaces, that Eskel just wants to know who that man is. He must be quite a gem if he can manage to turn Lambert, prickly difficult Lambert, into a soft creature.

He snorts into his drink and he wonders if Lambert is planning to bring the man back to Kaer Morhen with him this winter, it would certainly explain why they're travelling together this late into the season. He takes the time to finish his drink, thanks the tavern keeper for his hospitality and heads outside with a spring in his step, he can't wait to go home.

And if Lambert doesn't bring his friend with him, Eskel will need to share his discovery with Geralt and then they'll devise a plan to drag the stranger's name and story out of Lambert. In the end, Eskel is sure that the gossip they'll gather will be worth the trouble and headaches Lambert is sure to give them for their nosiness.

* * *

When Coën comes back from using the tavern's facilities, he just hopes that his plate will not have been completely emptied by one of the two stomach-on-legs he's travelling with. He's a bit dismayed, but not really surprised, to note that his plate is indeed empty when he comes back. However the sight of a blushing Lambert, while Aiden lovingly kisses his knuckles, more than makes up for it.

He smiles fondly at his two lovers and is still astonished that such a sweet gesture can make Lambert blush. Lambert who doesn't bat an eye at the crudest things Aiden and Coën tell him and is actually delighted to upstage them by whispering things that are way filthier than what they could ever come up with, but show him the barest hint of sweetness and he'll sport the most enticing blush Coën has ever laid eyes on.

He's ready to step forward and join them, to take Lambert's left hand in his to kiss his palm and fingers and maybe even lightly suck on his fingertips to make the Wolf's face literally _burn_ , when he spots another witcher gazing at Aiden and Lambert.

That stops him dead in his tracks. Three witchers in a tavern are already a lot, but four is probably unheard of. Coën would like to know who the man thinks he is to keep staring at his lovers insistently and what he wants. It might be another Wolf, Lambert having warned them that the tavern was a place they tended to frequent, so he refrains from stomping over to drag him out to settle the matter with his fists.

The problem the new witcher poses is quickly resolved by Lambert though. Coën sees the exact moment Lambert notices that he and Aiden have an audience and he hurries to snarl and put some distance between him and the Cat. Coën grimaces at the painful sight, but at least he knows that the two of them know each other, Lambert wouldn't care about some stranger's opinion of him.

Luckily the tavern keeper soon notices the new witcher too and badgers him until he agrees to follow him towards the bar. Coën then discreetly joins Aiden and Lambert and clears his throat wondering what they'll do now. Lambert keeps glaring at the newcomer behind his back and Aiden shares an exasperated look with Coën.

Coën rolls his eyes and takes a seat in front of his lovers, trusting them to keep an eye on his back. He then steals Aiden's half full tankard and drains it in a few seconds. He's considering doing the same with Lambert's, when the Wolf suddenly gets up, puts his swords over his back and hurries out of the tavern.

“Fuck,” Aiden sighs, “I was actually looking forward to spend some time in the warmth.”

“We could go have a word with him,” Coën whispers and nods towards the unknown witcher, “See if he wants to speak to Lambert.”

“And have to watch Lambert stomp away from us angrily as he leaves for the winter ?”, Aiden softly points out and Coën winces.

“Yeah, fine, not a good idea.”

“Come on, he won't wait for us eternally and we still have a few days before we have to let him go,” Aiden murmurs and gets up, “And I plan to enjoy them to the fullest.”

Coën nods and they gather their gear quickly. They discreetly sneak out behind the other witcher's back and hurry to Lambert's side, who's impatiently waiting next to Coën's horse. Aiden unties the horse from its post and hands the reins to Coën, who nods at him and slings his free arm around Lambert's shoulders. The Wolf grunts, elbows him in the gut and finally settles quietly when Aiden does the same on his other side. They exchange a look over Lambert's head and steer him towards the forest where they'll hopefully find a cave to peacefully spend the night.


	3. Chapter 3

Lambert has been home for two weeks now and already he regrets his choice. After Geralt caught him with Coën and Eskel with Aiden, Lambert thought long and hard about going back to Kaer Morhen. He finally decided to head back home, if only to face his brothers' reactions and check that he was still welcome at the keep.

At worst he expected to be belittled and mocked, at best made fun of, but instead he got something even worse, something he couldn't even have imagined in his wildest dreams, genuine interest. Eskel and Geralt don't waste time questioning him about what they saw and yes, they are careful about it, but also relentless. Even Vesemir is interested and always lingers nearby when his brothers start interrogating him. Lambert can't fathom what is so fascinating about his life.

There is one positive note to the situation though and that is the fact that Eskel and Geralt aren't aware that they each saw Lambert with a different man. From what he gathers, when they shared the news about having seen him, they didn't bother to describe Aiden or Coën to each other and just extrapolated that they both had seen Lambert with the same man. Lambert isn't quite sure what to make of this priceless information, but he just knows that there's a prank waiting somewhere to be woven from it, so he makes an effort not to contradict the morons that pass as his brothers.

All in all Lambert is rather glad that they are taking the news that he has a companion well, but that doesn't mean that Eskel and Geralt aren't tiring. Lambert doesn't want to share too much of what he's getting into with his brothers or Vesemir and he's getting tired of dodging questions left and right.

It's been two weeks and Lambert has already been interrogated over meals and in the hot springs, has been asked some very personal questions while Geralt sat on his back after a spar, has been plied with drinks to try to loosen his tongue and Eskel has even proposed to wager _answers_ when they're playing Gwent. His brothers are ridiculous.

Tonight he caught Geralt getting out the very good White Gull, the one they keep for the special occasions, and Lambert knew that he needed to run if he wanted to escape with his dignity and his secrets still intact. The only problem is that Lambert is not in the mood to spend his evening locked into his room. So he spends some time walking up and down the hallways and stairs, before he gives up and heads to the library.

He pushes the door open quietly, hoping to find the room empty or Vesemir asleep, but the old Wolf is still wide awake and he smirks at Lambert when he spots him. Lambert scowls at him, but enters anyway and heads for the shelf holding all of their fiction works. Most of them are quite shitty, barely a good enough read when you're bored, but they brought back some interesting ones over the years. They have Eskel's small erotica collection – ranging from horribly shitty to really really good -, Geralt's skelligan tales, Vesemir's old toussainti knightly romances and his own humorous novels or drama.

He selects a funny redanian drama, a short piece about a man who believes himself sick and receives stupid advice from moronic but opportunistic healers, until his servant, disguised as a healer herself, manages to make him see the truth much to his wife's displeasure, who is eagerly waiting for her husband's death. He has already read it several times, but it still makes him chuckle quietly, and it'll be perfect to take his mind off his brothers' antics.

Lambert settles in a chair next to Vesemir, drags a fur over his legs and starts to read. He's halfway through his book, stupidly smiling as the wife despairs of her husband's health despite the many bleedings he has to endure, when the door opens and Eskel and Geralt stumble in, clearly inebriated. Lambert falls quiet, refuses to look at them and pretends not to notice them as they sit down on the rug next to the fire.

“Lambert,” Geralt calls him, voice slightly slurred.

“Nope,” he answers and doesn't look up.

“Lambert ?”, Eskel tries again.

“Still not here,” Lambert grunts.

“Lambeeeert,” Geralt whines.

“What ?”, Lambert finally growls as he snaps his book shut and glares at his brothers.

“Why didn't you bring your companion with you ?”, Eskel asks.

“Should I have ?”, Lambert grumbles.

“I don't know. But you were looking cozy,” Eskel answers and nods drunkenly, “You could have brought him, we'd have been on our best behaviour.”

“He could have gone fishing with you,” Geralt mutters and lies down with his head resting on Eskel's thigh.

“Fuck off,” Lambert grunts.

“Did you have a falling out ?”, Eskel gasps dramatically.

“ _Fuck off_ ,” Lambert repeats.

They didn't fall out and they didn't separate angry, but Lambert has never felt secure enough to invite them to the keep and he didn't want to do it after the displays his brothers witnessed.

“Are you sure that you didn't hallucinate Lambert's companion ?”, Vesemir intervenes.

Eskel and Geralt splutter at the old Wolf and Lambert smirks. He doesn't know what Vesemir is trying to do, but he has a feeling it is going to be entertaining.

“They were kissing,” Geralt says.

“And _mooning_ ,” Eskel adds.

“I sure as hell never mooned over anyone in my life,” Lambert snarls and bends down to tug his boot off and throw it at Eskel's head.

“And Aubry and Tjold really did try to drown Remus in the hot springs,” Vesemir sarcastically points out.

“They could have !”, Geralt loudly exclaims and flails his arms around.

“What ?”, Lambert asks, lost.

“When they were younger, Geralt and Eskel accused Tjold and Aubry of trying to drown Remus into the hot springs one night,” Vesemir explains, “They woke half the keep up, dragged Rennes out of bed and when they went to check the springs, they found Remus definitely not drowning, but having quite a good time with Aubry and Tjold.”

“Why didn't I ever hear that story ?”, Lambert wonders with glee as Geralt and Eskel wince.

“So really they could have misread what they saw you do with this unknown witcher,” Vesemir adds and then looks at Lambert clearly waiting for an answer.

Lambert's glee fades quickly and he winces, grimaces and slumps back into his chair defeated. He feels trapped and he scowls at Vesemir as Geralt and Eskel intensely stare at him.

“Fine, yes, I have a... companion,” Lambert grunts, “Can I go back to my book now ?”

“No, no, no,” Eskel quickly says, “You're not leaving it at that ? What's his name ? How long have you known him ? Do you hunt with him ? _How did you two meet_?”

Lambert sighs and defensively crosses his arms over his chest, he hadn't known Eskel was such a gossip.

“None of your fucking business,” Lambert says.

“Lambert,” Geralt whines, “You know about Jaskier and Yennefer and Triss and about Eskel's succubus and goat farmers, it's only fair of you to share.”

“I certainly didn't ask about any of these people,” Lambert mutters and rolls his eyes.

“Neither did I,” Vesemir drily points out.

“Come on, just three answers,” Eskel bargains, “One for each of us.”

“No.”

“Two ?”

“Piss off.”

“One ?”, Eskel begs.

Eskel is looking at him with big imploring eyes, while Geralt is staring at him with his eyes blown wide and a few stray _freaking fake_ tears rolling down his cheeks. Even Vesemir's attention is focused on him now and Lambert caves.

“One,” he growls and threateningly points his finger at Eskel, “So you better make it count.”

Geralt immediately opens his mouth and Eskel throws himself at him. They wrestle in front of the fire until Eskel pins Geralt down and presses a hand against his mouth to keep him from asking a stupid question. Lambert is tempted to join them to hinder Eskel so that Geralt can ask his stupid question and they can be done with this nonsense. He stays seated though and Vesemir catches his eye.

“Is your companion good to you ?”, Vesemir asks as Eskel and Geralt freeze, “Are you safe ?”

“That makes two questions,” Lambert points out, deciding not to make things easier for the prying assholes.

“Then it doesn't count,” Eskel hurries to intervene, “And don't ask him that, Vesemir, there are far more pressing matters to discuss, like when and how they met.”

“How often they have sex,” Geralt drawls, his voice slightly muffled by Eskel's hand.

“Geralt ! That's not important _now_ ,” Eskel says, “And that's why drunk you is not allowed to ask questions !”

“You're drunk too,” Geralt points out.

“Less than you !”, Eskel exclaims and manhandles Geralt until his head ends up burried under a mound of furs.

“Is your companion good to you ?”, Vesemir repeats while holding his gaze.

“Vesemir,” Eskel whines.

“He is,” Lambert answers, not wanting to give the fact that he has two lovers away, “I'm safe.”

“Good,” Vesemir says, nods at him and goes back to his book.

“This is so unfair,” Eskel whines and flops down over Geralt's chest, “It was my idea, I should have asked the question.”

Geralt hums in agreement and finally manages to free his head from the heap of furs Eskel burried him under. His hair is all over the place and he looks so ridiculous Lambert can't help but grin and shake his head at him.

“You can try your trick again tomorrow evening,” Geralt loudly whispers into Eskel's ear, probably thinking he's being stealthy, “He won't see it coming again.”

Vesemir and Lambert snort and Eskel rolls his eyes at him.

“Sure, Geralt,” he says and gently pats his shoulder, “Go to sleep, will you, it'll do you some good.”

Geralt nods and wraps his arms around Eskel's body effectively trapping him against his chest. Eskel sighs, but doesn't protest. He still takes a few seconds to look at Lambert, probably hoping to convey the fact that he won't let the matter drop so easily, before he closes his eyes too and goes to sleep here and there. Lambert shakes his head at them and goes back to his book.

He doesn't remember falling asleep, but come morning, he finds himself slumped in the library's chair with a cushion behind his neck and two furs thrown over his body and he huffs quietly as he spots Geralt and Eskel still asleep together in front of the dying fire. They look at peace in the dim morning light and Lambert takes a few seconds to appreciate the quiet. He's sure that they'll all go back to butting heads soon enough and he has no intention to be the losing party this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry christmas, happy holiday!!  
> See you in a few days :D


	4. Chapter 4

The mystery of Lambert's companion bothers Eskel for the remaining winter months and the whole next year. As his little brother didn't share much and held on to his precious information quite well during the cold months, Eskel has decided to investigate on his own. Unfortunately, Lambert proved very adept at deception and quite easily gave him and Geralt the slip in spring, so now he's hoping autumn will satisfy his dire need for information.

He knows that Lambert probably won't appreciate his snooping, but Eskel is a nosy little shit – always has been, really – and he can't contain himself any longer. So he asked Geralt about the lake where he saw Lambert last year and is now trudging through the forest surrounding it, hoping to find his brother and his companion.

He has sworn to himself that if he does find them, he won't hesitate to introduce himself and invite the mysterious witcher to come with them for the winter. It'll give him more opportunities to parse out what Lambert is hiding and if his brother insists on remaining silent, he'll be able to pester the newcomer.

He finds the lake easily enough and stays hidden under the trees as he takes everything in. Some of the trees are slowly losing their leaves, the water is calm and a small boat has been pushed onto its shore. Not far from it, Eskel gleefully spots a fire, several bags lying around it and the dark skinned mysterious witcher sitting on a log while he mends some clothes. There's no Lambert though.

Eskel frowns at the man and tries to spot his brother. He doesn't find him though and grumbles as he ties Scorpion to a low branch to be able to creep forward. He stays hidden for now, not wanting to startle the unknown witcher, but he prays for Lambert to come back soon.

As he waits for his brother, he takes the time to stare at the witcher. He's deeply concentrated on his work, his shoulders hunched over and his fingers nimble as he threads his needle through the shirt he's mending. He's definitely less bulky than Lambert, but Eskel thinks that he's probably lighter on his feet than his brother and therefore faster.

It would be interesting to fight him, Eskel muses, to discover his weaknesses and strong points and maybe rope him into a team fight with Geralt and Lambert. And as the man doesn't know them yet, he might even be persuaded to bet some answers to Eskel's questions as wagers.

Eskel knows that he's getting excited at something that might not even come to pass, but he just can't help himself. He's ready to make his presence known, because Lambert still hasn't come back and his patience his running out, when the witcher straightens his back and turns around to look at the trees behind him.

“Fucking finally,” Eskel mutters under his breath.

He's ready to see Lambert joining his companion, maybe even witness a kiss like Geralt had, so he's rather surprised to see another witcher, that is clearly not his brother, with his arms ladden with wood come out of the forest. Eskel has already taken some steps forward, ready to walk up to them, but he stops dead in his tracks. The newcomer is fair skinned, bald, with a dark beard and he smiles at Lambert's companion as he comes closer.

Eskel's thoughts are spinning, he's wondering if Lambert hid a friend from them as well as a lover or if Lambert isn't actually here yet and his companion decided to spend some time with his own brother waiting for him. So he's rather surprised to see the newcomer smile, walk up to the other witcher, drop the wood next to the fire, bend down and drag _Lambert's companion_ into a very thorough, very long kiss.

Eskel gapes at the sight and he takes a few steps back in a hurry.

“Fuck, fuck, _fuck_ ,” he mutters under his breath as he goes back to Scorpion.

Lambert and his companion seemed so cozy and comfortable together last year that Eskel could never imagine that his brother would end up being cheated upon. Or maybe they broke up during the past year ? But then the witcher didn't waste any time finding some new trollop to replace Lambert.

He reaches Scorpion quickly and can't help but to look behind him one last time. The witchers are both sitting close together on the log and they look so snug, Eskel is sure that they've known each other for a long time. He grimaces, shakes his head at them and then leads Scorpion away from the lake.

He's left wondering about what Lambert knows of his companion's life. Is he aware that he's having an affair on the side ? Or is Lambert the dirty secret instead of the newcomer ? Is his companion still _his_ companion or did they break up ? Was Lambert lied to and ambushed by one of the witchers ? By the both of them ?

He hopes that his brother wasn't lead into a trap by backstabbing witchers and that he's indeed still hale, safe and slowly making his way north with or without a broken heart. He'd really like to confront the two assholes he's leaving behind, but he knows that with two witchers against him, he'd have very little chance to win and make them confess. He'll just have to wait until he'll find Lambert again to see what he's aware of and what he'll want them to do about the situation.

And that leaves him pondering what he's going to say to Lambert over winter – he's assuming Lambert is fine for now, if he's not, the trollop and the backstabber _will_ regret it. He can't decently hide what he just learned from his brother. If it were to happen to him, he would like to be told these things, but he doesn't know how to broach the subject either.

He's going to need Vesemir and Geralt's help then. He'll inform them of the latest developments, consult with them on what to tell Lambert and then they'll keep an eye on him over winter and mend his broken heart in the process. And if come spring Lambert wants to lead a punitive expedition, Eskel will readily follow him and he's sure that Geralt will be right at their side to make the two assholes regret toying with their little brother's feelings.

* * *

When Geralt stops at _The Crown_ on his way back to Kaer Morhen in the fall, he's not precisely looking for Lambert or his companion. Eskel asked him to keep an eye out for their little brother before they left the keep at the end of winter and Geralt agreed – mostly to get Eskel to stop pestering him about Lambert's companion – but he hasn't gone out of his way to look for him.

He usually tries to stay away from gossip altogether, because he's utterly bad at reading people and their behaviours, and the stern talking to and then extra training he got when he woke everyone up, because he thought Aubry and Tjold were trying to drown Remus in the hot springs, has been good enough a lesson.

So he hands Roach to Roggen and is ready to head inside the tavern and rest for maybe an hour before going on, when the stablehand informs him that Lambert himself isn't here, but that his friends are.

“What ?”, Geralt asks, completely dumbfounded.

“Your brother's friends,” Roggen repeats slowly, “They're here, if you're looking for them.”

Geralt denies that he's looking for them, but he's still curious, because as far as he knows Lambert doesn't do friends. So he can't help but to go around the tavern until he finds a window through which he can discreetly peek inside the common room. And indeed, in Lambert's favorite corner, Geralt can see two men sitting close together. He easily recognizes Lambert's companion, his bald head a dead give away, but he doesn't know the other man.

From what Geralt can see through the window, the newcomer is dark skinned and there are two witcher's swords resting against the wall at his side. He furrows his brows and wonders what the two witchers are doing here, in Wolf territory. The only explanation that makes sense is that they're waiting for Lambert.

He wonders if he should head inside and introduce himself, maybe try to ask some questions while Lambert is away, so that he'll come back with interesting news to share with Eskel, but something is slightly bothering him and he stays rooted in front of the window.

Their hands are almost touching on the table and their heads are bent towards each other as they whisper into each other's ears. And by the way they're sitting, Geralt would bet that their thighs are touching. Moreover they're smiling at one another and staring into each other's eyes. Suddenly Lambert's companion laughs, probably at something the newcomer told him, and his hand finds the other witcher's one to squeeze as they continue to gaze fondly at each other.

Geralt isn't one to pass judgment quickly, but Lambert's companion and the newcomer seem very close. He and Eskel were mistaken for lovers often enough in the old days, even as they certainly weren't and still aren't fucking, so he knows that closeness doesn't always mean sexual intimacy, but these two clearly look the part of lovers and Geralt doesn't know what to think about it.

He supposes that he should be upset on Lambert's behalf if his companion is cheating on him, but by the way they looked last year, happy and content and clearly comfortable with one another, he can't imagine that Lambert's witcher would do that to him. Maybe these two really are just friends ? Or maybe the bald witcher's relationship with Lambert wasn't as strong as Geralt believed it to be ? They could have broken up and went on their own ways by mutual agreement.

He frowns at the two witchers and doesn't know what to think exactly. He'd like for Eskel to be here with him, his brother would be able to explain what is happening right in front of his nose. Suddenly the dark skinned witcher laughs at something Lambert's companion just said. The bald witcher then smiles at the newcomer and bends forward to press a kiss to his friend's cheek, which makes the dark skinned man fondly shake his head.

Geralt would have liked to keep staring at the two men for a little while longer to try to understand their behaviour, but his presence at the window seems to be causing quite a stir in the common room. Some of the patrons are starting to turn around in their seat to look and point at him, until the two witchers notice the commotion too, spot him and stare at him.

Geralt blushes and is acutely aware that a creepy witcher peeking at someone from outside a window can be a cause of concern. He has a feeling he won't be able to salvage the situation and if he were in the two witchers' situation, he'd hit first and ask questions later, so he decides that running away is the most sensible thing to do.

He puts on his hood and turns around quickly without looking back at the two witchers. When he reaches Roggen, he's relieved to see Roach ready to leave and he doesn't waste time going up in the saddle. As he urges Roach away, he hears the tavern keeper calling him back, but he doesn't answer and keeps going.

He still doesn't know what he just witnessed, doesn't want to believe his brother's companion would unrepentantly play with Lambert's feelings, but he and the stranger really seemed awfully cozy together at the tavern. He decides not to judge them for now and to go seek Eskel as soon as possible to tell him what he saw. He'll listen to his opinion and as Eskel usually knows best in these situations, they'll proceed following his advice.

They may need more data though and Geralt will make an effort to look for Lambert and his companion during the next year if Eskel asks it of him. Or maybe they'll be able to talk to Lambert about it and he'll be able to put their concerns to rest. He prays that he won't be the bearer of bad news though, because taking care of a broken hearted Lambert during the whole winter is not an experience he wishes to live through. He doesn't even know how one might go about caring about an emotionally hurt Lambert and he feels like it would be a dreadful and painful mess to deal with for everyone involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the speculations begin :D


	5. Chapter 5

When Lambert heads back to Kaer Morhen for the winter, he's a bit pissed. Aiden and Coën told him that they caught Geralt creepily staring at them at _The Crown_ and he's also annoyed that he's once again alone. So he's not really in a good mood and is more than ready to give his dumb brother a piece of his mind when he finally reaches the keep.

Unfortunately he doesn't manage to utter one word before Eskel runs towards him and drags him into a definitely too tight hug. He spots Geralt and Vesemir nearby looking at them fondly and Lambert starts to struggle when it seems that no one will join them to save him from his octopus of a brother.

“Let go,” Lambert mumbles against Eskel's shoulder and flails his arms, “Let me go !”

“I'm so relieved to see you home,” Eskel tells him and if Lambert is not mistaken, hugs him even tighter.

Lambert has to stomp on his brother's feet to make him let go and he heads for the keep with a scowl firmly set on his face. Vesemir tugs him into a hug too, which is weird, and Geralt insists on nosing at his neck and patting his armor down, like he's looking for tears or holes in it. The odd behaviours unnerve Lambert, who doesn't linger to yell at Geralt like he planned to do, but heads to his room instead.

He stays blessedly alone for a minute, before Eskel knocks on his door and pulls him out of his room and down several flights of stairs to the hot springs.

“I do _not_ smell that bad,” Lambert grouches as he undresses under Eskel's piercing gaze, “Are you not going to join me ?”

“No,” Eskel answers, “Trousers off, I need to check you over.”

“I'm not a baby, Eskel,” Lambert gripes.

He still discards his trousers and smallclothes, but before he can enter the closest pool and hide in the water, Eskel snags his arm and draws him back. Lambert curses, wriggles around and even kicks his brother's shins, but Eskel is relentless. He pats Lambert down, checking him for injury, tuts at his new scars – only two, because hunting with two other witchers for most of the year _is_ safer than to hunt alone – and manhandles him to get at the inside of his thighs and the soles of his foot.

Everything is fucking awkward, what with Eskel being fully clothed and Lambert in the nude, but he can't escape his brother's hold. And finally, after checking behind his ears, Eskel releases him and gently pushes him towards the pool. Lambert carefully takes a step back and hurries into the water once he's sure Eskel won't make another grab for him.

“Can I wash your hair ?”, Eskel asks him after a few seconds of silence.

“No,” Lambert snarls and moves away from the pool's edge, “Piss off.”

“Please ?”

“No,” Lambert repeats, “What is your fucking problem anyway ? You're acting weird !”

“We were just worried, it's all.”

“Why ?”, Lambert asks suspiciously.

“No reason,” Eskel answers with a shrug.

“Bullshit,” Lambert snaps, “Tell me or I'm dragging you into the pool to dunk you !”

“You won't manage it,” Eskel says and softly smiles at him, “Let me wash your hair and I promise we'll answer your questions during supper. I just want to check on you.”

“Fine,” Lambert grunts and carefully sits on the bench running around the lenghth of the pool, “But you better keep your promise or you'll regret it.”

Eskel nods at him, fetches some nice smelling soap and settles behind Lambert. He forces himself to relax and lets Eskel work while he's trying to deduce what spooked his brother. He doesn't know what it is, but he's sure that Eskel – possibly Geralt and Vesemir too – is rattled, because he's using pine scented soap, which is Lambert's favorite, and gently scratching his head like he likes, all the while humming soflty under his breath. He can't wait for supper to have his questions answered.

Once Eskel is done with his hair, he leaves Lambert to soak in peace while he promises to fetch some clean clothes for him. Lambert suspiciously glares at his brother's back as he retreats and wonders if someone is dying or if they want to ask him to do something so unpalatable they feel like they need to soften him up first.

He huffs in annoyance and decides to close his eyes and doze for a while. He's woken up by Eskel some time later and nods at his brother as he puts some clean clothes aside for him. He's also carrying Lambert's pile of dirty clothes and dumps it into the laundry room without a word. He's being so nice and accomodationg, Lambert can't help but shudder. Everything is so weird and he's just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Lambert waits for Eskel to disappear back upstairs to get out of the pool and get dressed. He then goes up to the kitchen, where he finds the other Wolves gathered. Geralt is slowly roasting a pheasant over the fire, which makes Lambert salivate because it's his favorite dish, and Vesemir hands him a glass of cider as he sits down.

“Okay, who's dying ?”, Lambert asks after taking a sip of the really good sweet cider.

“No one,” Eskel sighs and takes a seat next to him.

“So what is all of this shit ? Favorite soap, favorite meal, good cider. Why do I get the feeling you're hiding something from me ?”

“It's just that we might have some bad news to share with you,” Geralt says and comes closer to squeeze his shoulder.

“What ?”, Lambert growls, annoyed, “Looking to fatten me up so that you can eat me when our food stores end up emptied in a few weeks ?”

Vesemir rolls his eyes at him and points at Eskel.

“Put him out of his misery,” the old Wolf orders Eskel, who nods.

“So Geralt saw your companion at _The Crown_ a few weeks ago.”

“Yes,” Lambert growls and is ready to tear Geralt a new one for once again being a creep, “And let me tell you...”

“No, that's not all,” Eskel cuts him off, “He saw him with another witcher. And they seemed _close_.”

Lambert chokes on air and tries really hard not to roll his eyes at Eskel. So Geralt saw Coën with Aiden, which is nothing unusual or new, but for the fact his brothers apparently still didn't parse out that Lambert has two lovers. He wonders where this is going and motions for Eskel to continue his explanation. He'll figure out what to disclose once his brother is done.

“And I saw him at a lake a few weeks before that with another witcher too. And Lambert, they were kissing.”

“What ?”, Lambert asks.

He's a bit lost. Aiden and Coën told him about the encounter at _The Crown_ but they didn't say anything about seeing Eskel at a lake. Unless they didn't spot him. It's all weird, but at least now Lambert is sure that his brothers still don't seem to have noticed that they each saw him with a different witcher once again. Which leaves the door open to some interesting possibilities.

“Your companion, Lambert, is cheating on you,” Eskel softly tells him and squeezes his shoulder, probably looking to comfort him.

“What ?”, Lambert asks again, trying really hard not to laugh out loud at the ludicrous accusation and wondering how they came to that conclusion.

“Unless you two broke up ?”, Geralt intervenes.

“No, no, we didn't,” Lambert contradicts him with a strangled voice, “We're still together. You must be mistaken. He wouldn't do that to me.”

“I'm sorry,” Eskel whispers, “But they really were kissing at the lake.”

Eskel then proceeds to drag Lambert into a hug. He scratches his head and makes soft soothing noises next to his ear and Lambert doesn't know what to do. He resists the urge to elbow Eskel in the gut to let him go and refrains from announcing that his brothers are idiots and that Lambert is involved with _both_ Aiden and Coën. The situation is so ridiculous, but still shows some brilliant mayhem potential, so he keeps quiet for now.

It becomes less ridiculous and more intriguing as supper progresses. He stays mostly quiet and watches as Geralt and Eskel grow more and more agitated about his supposedly broken heart. Lambert keeps his head down and his eyes on his plate and has to make a huge effort not to snort at his brothers' accusations and their anger on his behalf.

He has to remind himself that they're looking out for him several times over supper when the insults start to fly left and right. Usually such slurs as _whore_ , _good for nothing cheater_ or _backstabber_ directed at his lovers would trigger one violent urge to beat the shit out of the offender, but the fact that Eskel and Geralt are completely oblivious to what is happening right under their noses makes it somewhat funny.

The highlight of the evening happens when Eskel calls Coën, sweet and gentle Coën, a _trollop_. Lambert has to hide his snort behind a cough and he stuffs his mouth full of pheasant, almost choking himself of it, to avoid laughing out loud. He and Aiden had to woo Coën for a year, before the Griffin agreed to join them, first needing to be certain that the both of them were sure of their feelings for him and that he wouldn't be the cause of their breaking up. Coën is literally the last person Lambert would call a trollop.

He thinks that the slurs are the best of it, but everything gets even more interesting when it becomes clear that Geralt and Eskel are only waiting for him to have a meltdown. They expect him to spend several days abed nursing his broken heart and announce – not suggest but _announce_ ! – that they'll take care of Lambert's chores as he gets better. And _that_ is an opportunity he's not stupid enough to overlook.

Lambert nods and tries to school his features into the most miserable and sad grimace he can manage. Geralt puts some more pheasant onto his plate, Eskel rubs his back and Vesemir looks at them with an unreadable face. Lambert is almost sure that he's not buying into his bullshit, but the old Wolf doesn't seem inclined to contradict him either, so he ignores him for now.

The evening passes quickly and as Lambert goes up to his room, he reminds himself that he needs to take care not to paint his companion as too much of an asshole, lest Eskel and Geralt decide to hunt him down in spring. It would be awkward for all of them.

The situation once again gets better in the morning. He's allowed to sleep in well after sunrise and Geralt even brings him his breakfast to bed. Lambert makes sure to appear as pathetic as possible – which is not easy, he's not used to being pathetic – and nods at his brother in thanks. Before he disappears back downstairs, Geralt tells him that Eskel is taking care of his laundry and Vesemir of his armor and blades.

Lambert happily relishes his breakfast and hums as he makes sure to lick every last trace of honey off his plate and fingers. When he finally heads downstairs, after catching a quick nap after breakfast, he finds Vesemir in the kitchen, reading a book next to a pile of weapons Lambert recognizes as his.

“Aren't you supposed to be cleaning and sharpening them ?”, he asks his mentor with a cheeky grin as he washes his dishes.

Vesemir snorts at him and motions for him to take a seat.

“What are you hiding ?”, Vesemir then asks him, “You're not heartbroken, you'd be angry, not playing at being sad.”

“I could be !”, Lambert exclaims, “It's hard learning your lover is cheating on you !”

“As if,” Vesemir says, “Spill or I'm telling Eskel and Geralt you're bullshitting them.”

“Fine,” Lambert grumbles and adds with a smirk, “I've got _two_ companions.”

“The two witchers Eskel and Geralt saw together,” Vesemir sighs in understanding.

“Yep,” Lambert grins.

“They're such morons,” Vesemir despairs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Yep,” Lambert repeats, smirking, “And I'm going to milk that situation for as long as I can.”

“Don't overdo it or I'm ratting you out,” Vesemir threatens, “They need to be able to unwind and rest too and I won't have them running left and right to pick up your slack all winter long.”

“You're such a killjoy,” Lambert grumbles.

“Get to cleaning,” Vesemir orders him and points at the blades on the table, before going back to his book.

Lambert sighs but complies anyway. He starts to clean, check and sharpen his blades, separating the good from the bad ones. Eskel joins them some time later and Lambert makes sure to hunch his shoulders and appear miserable over his stack of blades. Eskel soflty smiles at him and squeezes his shoulder in support, before berating Vesemir for forcing poor sad Lambert to work. He could do without the pitying tone, but Eskel glaring at and rebuking Vesemir is _the best shit ever_ so he keeps his mouth shut.

“He needs something to occupy his mind and his hands,” Vesemir replies testily and ignores Eskel.

His brother grumbles but still fetches a rag and a whetstone, takes a seat in front of him and actually starts to help Lambert. His day is only getting better and better and Lambert makes sure to work slowly, so that the bulk of the work falls to Eskel. He has to pick up his pace a bit when Vesemir clears his throat though.

As he continues to take care of his blades with Eskel, he vows to keep using the situation at his advantage for as long as he can. It won't be easy with Vesemir keeping an eye on him and with him being forced to appear subdued and depressed, but it will be definitely be worth it if he can palm off some of his chores to his brothers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the morons continue to be... well, morons :D  
> Hope you enjoyed!


	6. Chapter 6

The next year, Lambert decides to bring Aiden and Coën with him to Kaer Morhen. Not that he didn't like watching his brothers try to comfort him for being allegedly cheated upon, but it got old after a few weeks. That doesn't mean that Lambert will stop playing with Eskel and Geralt completely, they're just so entertaining he _can't_ stop, but he reckons that bringing Aiden and Coën with him will make them go a little crazy.

Aiden and Coën readily agree to accompany him – Lambert feels like they were actually waiting for quite some time for an invitation – and enthusiastically accept to play a prank on his brothers. As Geralt saw him kissing Coën but Eskel only spotted him being close to Aiden, they agree to introduce Coën as his companion and Aiden as his friend. Then they wonder how long it'll take Eskel and Geralt to notice that they're being lied to and place some bets that promise the winner a truly exquisite night of pleasure.

Lambert knows that Eskel and Geralt will probably be looking for him or Aiden and Coën before going to the keep, so he avoids his usual routes and slowly leads his partners north. The journey is easy, all of them being used to harsh travels and they finally reach the keep late in a crisp autumn afternoon.

As soon as they enter the courtyard, Lambert spots his brothers coming to meet him at a run, before they stop dead in their tracks a few meters away from them. They unattractively gape at them all and Lambert has to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing at them. Vesemir arrives a few seconds later, gets around the two frozen morons and stands in front of them as he gives them a thorough once-over.

“Lambert,” he then greets him and tugs him forward into a quick hug, “Good to see you again.”

“Vesemir,” he answers, steps back and then nods at his still frozen brothers, “Eskel, Geralt.”

“And who did you bring with you ?”, Vesemir asks him when it becomes clear that Eskel and Geralt aren't quite ready to speak just yet.

“This is my _companion_ , Coën,” Lambert says and wraps his arm around Coën's waist to bring him closer, before turning towards Aiden, “And this is our friend, Aiden.”

Vesemir rolls his eyes and glares at him, taking advantage of the fact Eskel and Geralt are behind him and can't see him do it. Lambert just smirks and leans towards Coën to place a kiss on his cheek. Eskel and Geralt let out two small barely perceptible whines and definitely look white-faced when he glances at them again. Lambert can't help but wink at them.

“Nice to meet you,” Vesemir then growls and offers his hand to Aiden and Coën.

His partners readily accept his mentor's profered hand and they shake it firmly. Eskel and Geralt can't stop gaping at Lambert and Vesemir has to push them forward to at least greet them properly and stop looking like uncouth morons. Once the introductions are out of the way, Lambert leads his guests towards the stables to settle Coën's horse and he sees Vesemir push Eskel and Geralt towards the keep.

“Their fucking faces,” Aiden softly chuckles as they step into the stable, “They looked like such idiots.”

“Now I understand why you're so confident they won't discover the truth before winter is over,” Coën sighs at Lambert, “Can I change my bet ?”

“No,” Lambert answers and steals a kiss from the Griffin, “Prepare to lose.”

“Spoilsport,” Coën grins, before disappearing into a box to settle his horse.

Aiden then whines until Lambert kisses him too and they both wait for Coën to be done before heading up to the keep. Lambert points out the kitchen at them and then leads them upstairs towards his bedroom. He knows that they'll need to be discreet if all of them want to share a bed at night and that makes him wonder if it wouldn't be better to tell the truth to his brothers.

“Having second thoughts ?”, Aiden asks him as they're preparing the room right next to Lambert's to settle the Cat in.

“No. Maybe,” Lambert sighs, “I think that I don't really want to win that bet after all.”

“We'll just have to become more and more obvious as winter goes on,” Coën points out, “They can't really be that oblivious, can they ?”

“They really really can,” Vesemir startles them as he joins them.

“You could have knocked,” Lambert growls at him.

“Door is open,” Vesemir points out, “Anyway I want in on the betting pool.”

“What makes you think that there is a betting pool ?”, Lambert asks him defensively.

“Really, Lambert ? I know you,” Vesemir answers as he leans against the door, “What are the stakes ?”

“The betting pool is kinda... private,” Coën mumbles as he blushes.

Vesemir rolls his eyes at them.

“What is it with witchers and oversharing,” Vesemir wonders and crosses his arms over his chest, “Two months for them to come around. Closest wins and gets to give his chores for a week to the losers to divide between them as they see fit.”

“Fine,” Lambert sighs, “I say end of the winter.”

“Pessimistic,” Vesemir remarks, “But sadly not totally impossible.”

“Two weeks,” Coën says.

“Too optimistic,” Vesemir smiles and shakes his head.

“A month,” Aiden suggests and Vesemir hums.

“If you're lucky,” Vesemir comments, “I'll leave you to get settled then and if I were you, I'd avoid the kitchen for a while. Eskel and Geralt are in there trying to work out what they missed and having a small meltdown.”

“ _Morons_ ,” Lambert sighs.

Vesemir chuckles as he leaves the room and Lambert has a feeling this winter will be a long one. Aiden then closes and locks the door behind him, before tackling Coën and bringing him down onto his freshly prepared bed.

“What are you doing ?”, Lambert asks as Aiden bends down to kiss Coën.

“If I have to spend my nights alone in this big bed,” Aiden says as he raises his head to look at Lambert, “It's definitely going to smell like you two once we're done here.”

“We'll sneak in,” Coën promises.

“Still not letting you go before my sheets _reek_ of you,” Aiden says and goes back to kissing Coën.

“You live dangerously,” Lambert says, “Eskel or Geralt could come check on us at any moment.”

“Door's locked,” Aiden points out.

“Won't stop the noise from going through.”

“Lambert,” Aiden sighs, “There's a chair in the corner. You can sit down and shut up if you're not interested. I'm perfectly able to make do with Coën.”

“I never said that I wasn't interested,” Lambert splutters and hurries to the bed lest Aiden bans him from it.

Coën laughs as Lambert sprawls next to him.

“We'll get worried the day you won't join us,” Coën says and winks at him.

“Less talking, more getting naked,” Aiden growls, “Got a bed that needs defiling.”

Lambert shakes his head at Aiden and steals a kiss from Coën before obeying and chucking his clothes. With luck, Eskel or Geralt will want to check on them and they'll be able to drag Aiden back with them to Lambert's room at the end of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler : they're not that lucky :p


	7. Chapter 7

Eskel doesn't really know how he and Geralt could miss the fact that when they spoke about Lambert's companion, they were thinking about two very different witchers. And worst of all, Eskel had it wrong. He hates being wrong, but as Geralt saw Coën and Lambert kiss and he just witnessed Aiden and Lambert being close, he has to concede that his brother was in the right. For once.

That still leaves them trying to understand how Aiden fits between Coën and Lambert. Eskel saw him kiss Coën, of that he is sure, but he also spotted him kissing Lambert's knuckles and he doesn't know what to make of it. Geralt is wary of him and helps keep an eye on him, but he refuses to condemn him before he has certain proof that he's sleeping with Coën behind Lambert's back.

They thought about going to Lambert with their doubts, but as they spent the last winter comforting him through his broken heart and he still went back to Coën in spring, he's pretty sure their brother won't believe them unless they can prove to him that he's being cheated upon. So they settle for watching Aiden.

They make sure to offer him their help with his chores, to follow him when he leaves for the hot springs after Coën and to spar with him pretexting the wish to know him better. Unfortunately they don't catch him kissing or fucking Coën. Only once Eskel saw him corner Coën against a wall, but the Griffin had deftly sidestepped him and gone away. And weirdly, Geralt swears that he saw Aiden kissing the back of Lambert's neck as he was giving him a massage in the hot springs. They really don't know what to make of that.

And the worst of all is that they can't be too obvious in their stalking lest Lambert takes offense. He let them do as they pleased for the first week, but intervened after Eskel cornered Aiden into the stables and _loomed_ over him while threatening to dismember him were he to ever hurt Lambert.

His brother got wind of the encounter though, chewed them both he and Geralt at supper and told them to stop harassing his friend if they didn't want to find their beds covered in itching powder. Geralt agreed with Eskel that they needed to be more discreet after that incident. But that means that almost two months after Lambert came home, they're still not getting closer to understanding what is going on between Aiden, Coën and Lambert.

“Maybe he's trying to break them up,” Eskel muses out loud at Vesemir one evening in the library, “Snag Coën for himself. The gods know the man seems to be quite the prize.”

“Jealous ?”, Vesemir snorts without even looking up from his book.

“What ? No !”, Eskel exclaims indignantly, “I'm happy for Lambert, but Aiden seems to be messing with them and I don't want to see either of them hurt.”

“Maybe you should stop being nosy,” Vesemir comments.

“I'm not nosy ! I'm concerned. And I can't decently let the trollop get away with what he's doing !”

“First Coën, now Aiden, you really need to make up your mind about who's the trollop. And don't insult them unless you have proof of wrongdoing, I won't save you from Lambert's wrath.”

“I saw him kiss Coën last year.”

“And you told Lambert. Who surely got things straightened out if he's back with Coën this year, so maybe you need to let it go.”

Eskel falls silent and ponders Vesemir's words. He could let it go, but he wants to know what is going on too much to stop prying. And he'd prefer to know if Lambert will have his heart broken again, so that he'll be present to pick up the pieces. He's almost sure that Aiden and Coën, if they betray Lambert, won't try to kill or maim him like he once thought they might do, but that doesn't mean they won't hurt him.

He's frowning at the library's ceiling, wondering if they shouldn't try to set Aiden and Coën up, when Geralt bangs the door open as he enters. He looks behind him before closing the door and collapses on the rug at Eskel's side.

“What ?”, Eskel asks him.

“Lambert stayed in the kitchen to brew himself some tea,” Geralt explains, “So I followed Aiden and Coën up to check on them.”

“And ? Did you see anything ?”, Eskel asks, intrigued.

“I saw Coën enter Lambert's room.”

“Boring,” Eskel says.

“But Aiden spotted me and he... he _smiled_ at me, Eskel, and asked if, with the way I've been stalking him since he arrived, I was _yearning for a good fuck_.”

Vesemir chuckles behind them and Geralt glares at him.

“Uh, maybe he's just a big slut who can't contain himself around witchers then,” Eskel muses.

“Don't call Aiden a slut if you're just speculating,” Vesemir rebukes him and Eskel flips him off.

“Maybe we're wrong,” Geralt whispers, “And they're just touchy-feely with one another. The gods know we've been accused of fucking enough times to learn to be wary of these types of accusations.”

“I saw them kissing,” Eskel reminds his brother, “We never kissed !”

“Okay, fine, but it doesn't make any sense,” Geralt whines, “Coën and Lambert are disgustingly sappy together, Aiden and Lambert are really good friends and Aiden and Coën seem close but never too close.”

“Unless,” Eskel whispers, “Unless Aiden and Lambert are both sharing Coën between them.”

“But why would he proposition me then ?”, Geralt asks.

“Because he wasn't serious and knew you wouldn't take him up on his offer. They're playing us !”

“Lambert doesn't seem the sharing type,” Geralt points out a few seconds later.

“Ugh, you're right,” Eskel muses, “Then. Oh, the sneaky little shits !”

“What ?”, Geralt asks.

“They're together,” Eskel answers, finally realizing what they were missing all along, “The three of them are together, Geralt.”

“Finally,” Vesemir mutters behind them.

“You knew ?”, Eskel asks him as he kicks his shins.

“It is quite obvious,” Vesemir sighs and closes his book with a snap.

“It really isn't,” Geralt adds and frowns at the ceiling.

“But it all adds up,” Eskel urgently says, “That's why Lambert always seemed to be smirking when we spoke about _one_ companion and why he didn't believe us when we told him he was being cheated upon.”

“Oh, fuck,” Geralt sighs, “And of course he didn't say anything last year, we were doing most of his chores for him.”

“He's such an asshole,” Eskel growls.

“You know I bet that they're sneaking into each other's rooms at night,” Geralt muses, “We could surprise them.”

Eskel grins at Geralt's idea and hurries to get up. He tugs Geralt to his feet too and they leave Vesemir behind as they slowly creep upstairs. They find Aiden's room empty and try Lambert's bedroom next. They're actually quite lucky to find the door unlocked and Eskel easily spots three lumps under the covers.

Geralt grins as he creeps forward and stops at the foot of the bed. Eskel joins him quietly and they slip their hands the covers to grip the ankles' of the middle lump. And then they suddenly tug on the feet and drag Lambert right out of the bed.

“What the fuck ?”, Lambert roars at them as they dump him onto the floor.

“What ? Lambert ?”, Aiden asks as he rolls over to grab a dagger from the bedside table.

Coën owlishly blinks at them as he sits up, before rolling his eyes at them and lying back down. Aiden puts the dagger back on the bedside table, but doesn't stop staring at them.

“You,” Eskel growls and points at Lambert, “You're a menace.”

“ _I'm_ a menace ?”, Lambert splutters and gets up, “What the fuck do you think you're doing here ?”

“You let us believe you were being cheated upon !”, Geralt exclaims and pokes Lambert's chest.

“Hey, you got that idea yourself,” Lambert grunts as he steals a fur from the bed to cover his nakedness.

“You could have told us about Coën _and_ Aiden,” Eskel points out.

Lambert shrugs and smirks at them.

“What can I say ? It was too much fun watching you squirm.”

“I brought you your breakfast in bed for _a month_ last year,” Geralt growls.

“And I mended all of your clothes,” Eskel grunts, “I hate mending clothes !”

“Hey, you proposed, what was I supposed to do ? Turn you down ?”

“You could have explained !”, Eskel exclaims and raises his arms to the ceiling in exasperation.

“I tried, you didn't let me speak !”, Lambert grunts and shoves Geralt away, “Now, piss off, it's my bedroom and the middle of the night, you can rant at me tomorrow.”

“You wish,” Geralt growls and shoves Lambert back in turn.

Eskel just knows that everything will go to hell in a few seconds, but he's not expecting for Aiden to throw a pillow at their heads though. Neither is Geralt, but that doesn't stop him from launching himself at Lambert with a loud cry. They both land on the bed and start to pinch and kick each other.

Lambert manages to pin Geralt to the bed after a few seconds of grappling and Eskel joins the fray without a second thought. He jumps on Lambert's back and pulls him off Geralt. They roll to the left and crush a surprised Coën under them before Geralt growls and draws Lambert away by his ankle.

Lambert shrieks and loses his fur as Geralt tickles him but manages to knee Geralt in the gut. Eskel is almost sure that he didn't even do it on purpose, but he still throws himself at Lambert in support. He inadvertently punches the air out of Coën's lungs as he scrambles away from him and as he tries to pin a fighting Lambert to the bed, he sees a flailing Aiden being unwittingly pushed out of it by Geralt.

“Fuck,” Aiden swears from the floor and they all freeze.

“You alright ?”, Coën asks him, still trying to catch his breath.

“Pretty sure my ass is going to bruise,” Aiden mumbles.

Eskel can't help but snort and Lambert painfully twists his wrist in retaliation.

“Let go,” Eskel hisses at his brother.

“Shut up,” Lambert snarls back but releases his wrist.

Eskel thinks that they're done now, Geralt and him will just need to crawl out of the bed and they'll resume arguing with Lambert in the morning. Sadly Aiden gets up with a wince and he seems a bit cross when he looks at Geralt.

Aiden's annoyed look is apparently enough to send Lambert back into a frenzy and he kicks Eskel away to get hold of Geralt's hair and tug on it.

“Look what you've done, now,” Lambert hisses, “Aiden's sad !”

“Pretty sure he's more disappointed in us all than sad,” Geralt grunts.

Eskel looks at Aiden to judge his mood and catches him winking – winking ! – at Coën. He knows that they're being played again, but that doesn't stop him from catching Lambert's arm and bite down on it so that his brother releases Geralt. Lambert howls, turns around and takes a bite out of Eskel's leg.

“You little gremlin,” Eskel yells.

He pushes his brother away wondering why Geralt didn't help him, but when he raises his head, he sees Aiden straddling Geralt's chest and trying to smother him with a pillow. Eskel throws himself over Lambert to push Aiden away from Geralt and the Cat grabs his arm, tugs and topples them both over the bed.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Eskel is the one swearing now as he lands on his stomach with Aiden's weight crushing him.

He tries to overthrow Aiden, but the damn Cat clings to him and actually manages to immobilize him quite thoroughly with his legs wound around Eskel's and his hands pinning Eskel's arms to his back.

“Geralt !”, he calls his brother.

“Geralt is otherwise occupied,” Lambert's cheery voice answers him and Eskel growls and tries to buck Aiden the clingy bastard off his back.

“Tap out and promise to leave and I'll let you go,” Aiden cheerfully tells him.

“Fuck off,” Eskel sighs.

He knows that they've lost now and that the best would be for them to tap out. They can start again on the training grounds tomorrow and take their revenge for letting them run in circles for years trying to understand what was going on. They'll gladly make them eat dirt while they're at it.

“Fine,” Eskel agrees, “I'll go.”

“Great,” Aiden chirps and slowly unwraps his limbs from Eskel's body.

Aiden stands over him as Eskel rolls to his back and offers him his hand with a smile. Eskel grimaces but accepts it anyway and looks over the bed where Geralt is being pinned down by Lambert and Coën.

“They're cheaters,” Geralt grumbles at him.

Eskel snorts at Geralt's disgruntled comment and then starts to laugh. Aiden chuckles at his side and Coën releases Geralt's legs with a smile on his lips. Lambert shakes his head and grins as he flops down on the bed at Geralt's side.

“You're all ridiculous,” Vesemir startles them all from the doorway where he's leaning against the side of the door.

“They started it,” Lambert grumbles.

“Liar,” Eskel fires back.

Coën sighs at them and throws a fur over Lambert's naked body before tossing one to Aiden, who's standing naked next to Eskel. Aiden drapes the fur over his body and nudges Eskel towards the door.

“Piss off now,” Aiden tells him with a smile.

“Careful,” Eskel teases him as he heads for the door, “I might want to get even one of these days.”

“Can't wait for it,” Aiden smirks at him.

“Aiden, don't encourage him,” Lambert whines.

“I'm sure I can take him,” Aiden says and joins Lambert to kiss him.

“Oi ! I'm still here, you know,” Geralt grumbles, still lying next to Lambert.

Eskel and Vesemir laugh as Geralt hurries to get out of the bed and join them at the door. Lambert flips them off as Eskel closes the door behind them.

“I've still got a good bottle of brandy in my room,” Eskel tells his mentor and Geralt, “Fancy a drink ? We can bitch at Lambert for the rest of the night.”

“Fuck off,” Lambert bellows from his bedroom and they finally move away.

“I've had enough of your bitching to last me for years,” Vesemir grumbles and leaves them to head to his own room.

“Wolf ?”, Eskel asks Geralt.

“Lead the way,” Geralt tells him, “We can plan our revenge.”

“They won't know what will hit them,” Eskel agrees with a grin as he leads Geralt to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And done!  
> Hope you liked it!!


End file.
